Foot-control snare control for snare drums



- 1,458,905 U.G.LEEDY FOOT CONTROL SNARE CONTROL FOR SNARE bRUMS.

lur l e 12,1923.

Filed July 1921 gig 4,2561 119661 Patented June 12, 1923.

"UNITED- STATES 1,458,905- PATENT OFFICE.

ULYSSES G. LEEDY, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 'ro LEED MANUFACTUR- Z;

ING COMPANY, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION or INDIANA.

FOOT-CONTROL SNARE ooNTnoL non sNARR nRUMs.

Application filed July 11,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ULYssns G. LEEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Foot-Control Snare Control for Snare Drums, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device by means of which a snare drummer may control the snares of his drum by foot, thus leaving his hands free at all times for manipulation of the drum sticks and other instruments.

A further object of my invention is to provide a structure of the character described, of light and compact character, such that the device may be readily carried in a pocket of the operator and such that the pedal member may be easily and quickly attached to the central stem of a folding stand such as is commonly used by orchestral drummers to support the snare drum.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a snare drum, supporting stand. and my improvement; Fig. 2 a side elevation of my improvements, the parts being shown as abnormally shifted into a single plane in order to avoid confusion; Fig. 3 a fragmentary perspective detail of the wire coupling and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the shifting mechanism.

In. the drawings 10 indicates a bracket adapted to be attached to the shell of the drum, provided with a pair of fingers 11 between which the yoke 12 is pivoted. Pivoted to yoke 12 is a snare holding yoke 13, provided with a clamp 14-, by means of which the ends of the snares may be clamped to the yoke 13. This construction is practically identical with similar parts shown in Patout No. 1,011,533, to Charles B. Vanamaker. Instead of providing the yoke 12 with an extension or finger piece by which it may be swung, the present yoke 12 is provided with an outwardly projecting finger 20 and an inwardly projecting finger 21 to which is attached one end of the spring 22, the other end of said spring being attached to bracket 10 and serving to normally hold the yoke 12 in such position as to strain the snares across the head of the drum.

Finger 20 is perforated to receive the upper hooked end of a wire 24. A companion 1921. Serial No. 483,790.

wire 25 isprovided with a hook at its lower end which hooks into an eye 26 in the upper end of a vertically movable pedal 27 which is slidably mounted in the cars 28 of the bracket 29, which is formed into a semicylindrical pocket 30 adapted to receive and be clamped upon the stem 31 of the "folding drum stand 32, by means'of a clamping screw 33. A spring 34- serves to normally hold the pedal in its upper position.

The wires 24 and 25 at their "free ends are laid parallel to each other and projected through perforations in the ears 10 of a clamping plate 11, a clamping screw 1-2 be-- ing threaded through the plate and having a tapered end which may be projected into contact with-the two wires between the wires so as to thus crowd the wires laterally in the perforations of cars 10 as well as to clamp the wires between the ears and the clamping screw. the arrangement being such that the effective length of the combined wires 21 25, may be readily adjusted.

The opposite ends of the snares may be supported by means such as that shown in the above mentioned patent, if desired, so that the snares may be controlled manually as well as pedally. I

By means of theapparatus which I have described, it is possible for the drummer, by movement of one foot, to cause a withdrawal of the snares from the drum head so as to mufile the drum or to allow the snares to be automatically tensioned across the drum head so as to produce the normal snare drum sound.

I claim as my invention l. The combination with a snare drum of a shiftable mounting for one end of the snares whereby the snares may be withdrawn from or tensioned upon the drum head, a pedal, means for supporting the pedal. and a connection between the pedal and the shiftable snare holder. whereby the snares may be foot controlled.

2. The combination with a snare drumof a bracket attached to the drum. a yoke pivoted to said bracket, a snare clamp pivoted upon said yoke, a spring normally urging the yoke to snare tensioning position. a foot pedal, means for supporting said pedal. and a connection between said pedal and the swinging yoke.

3. The combination with a snare drum of a bracket attached to the drum, a yoke pivoted to said bracket, a snare clamp pivoted upon said yoke, a spring normally urging the yoke to snare tensioning position, a foot pedal, a bracket for said pedal so formed and provided with means such that it may be removably clamped upon a drum stand, and a connection between said pedal and the swinging yoke.

4. As an article of manufacture, a'bracket, provided with leg engaging means removably embracing the leg of a drum stand, means for removably securing said bracket to said leg, a snare control member, a pedal member movably mounted in said bracket and means "for connecting said pedal member to the snare control member to be operated thereby.

5. As an article of manufacture, a bracket, provided with removable leg engaging means embracing the leg of a drum stand, means for removably securing said bracket to said leg, a snare control member, a pedal member movably mounted in said bracket, a-spring connected to said bracket and pedal to normally hold the pedal in an elevated position and means for connecting said pedal member to the snare control member to be operated thereby.

6. As an article of manufacture a bracket comprising a semicylindrical portion arranged to fit over the leg of a drum stand, means for removably securing said portion to said leg, a pedal operated member, a pedal member movably mounted. in said bracket, a spring connected. to said bracket and pedal member to normally hold the pedal member in an elevated position and means for connecting said pedal member to the member to be operated thereby.

7. As an article of manufacture a bracket provided with a semi-cylindrical portion arranged to it over the leg of a drum stand, means for removably securing said portion to said leg, said bracket having a pair of angularly disposed spaced apart legs provided with aligned openings, a spring connected to said bracket and said pedal member to hold the pedal member in an elevated position and means for connecting said pedal member to a snare control member to be operated thereby,

In Witness whereof I, Unrssns G. Lenny, have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 7th day of July, A. I), one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one.

ULYSSES G. LEEDY. 

